Digitalisierung: Bundestag beschließt Neuerungen für Personalausweis und Pass

Berlin - The German Bundestag has approved the legal framework for the introduction of a digital wallet for the personalausweis and passport next year. This digital wallet, known as "d-you," will allow citizens to easily identify themselves to authorities and contract partners online. In the future, the passport may only need to be stored on the phone, rendering the plastic card redundant at home.

Other identity documents, such as the driving license, are expected to follow. The "d-you" app is set to go live on January 2, 2027, in line with an EU regulation that requires each member state to provide an app for digital identity cards on smartphones. The legislation passed by the Bundestag aims to relieve citizens from bureaucratic burdens.

Senior citizens will no longer need to apply for a new personalausweis after turning 70: those who were 70 or older when they applied for their last personalausweis will be able to use it indefinitely. The current requirement to reapply after ten years of validity will also be abolished. Passport holders will no longer need to visit the authorities when moving to update their address in the passport.

The passport will remain valid even if the old address is still listed. The exact date when these new regulations come into force remains unclear, as the law still needs to be approved by the Bundesrat.